Prime Inc driver thread

As Don Lacy says "No load is so hot it cant cool off in a ditch". This is the third time in 2 weeks Ive had to shutdown for weather. Dispatch just said "ok, get it there when you can".

 

First, you understand that when you get into the lease program you're an independent contractor, not an employee - right? So the standard protections applied to workers doesn't count. The government (who controls the rules that contracts are governed by) figures if your adult-enough to sign a contract, you must be adult-enough to watch out for your own interests. Or hire an attorney to do that for you.

The APU is an additional piece of equipment, so yeah, there is an additional charge. BFD. Its up to the contractor as to whether he'd rather pay for an APU or pay for the fuel to idle the engine for heat/cooling.

Load locks, chains, binders, tarps, etc - are additional equipment that an independent contractor is expected to provide on his own dime. So are wrenches, screw drivers, pens, pencils, windex. What's your point? The lease is for the TRUCK.

Hidden fees? What hidden fees??? The lease is very straight-forward, no legalese, no "fine print." Anyone with a high school education should be able understand it. If not, hire an attorney - he can sue the school that didn't teach you how to read!

Actually, they had to reincorporate after emerging from chapter 11 bankruptcy about 30 years ago. Thus, the "NEW" Prime.

Didn't he call leasing right away? The payments keep coming whether you're fit to run or are sick. ITS IN THE CONTRACT. Any kind of a long-term illness or injury means you need to exercise the "walk away" clause immediately.

Well yeah. The third-party leasing company calls the shots when it comes to control of the vehicle. It's clearly stated in the lease. Prime itself controls dispatch, providing freight, etc - operational matters.

 

good response IP, theres a big difference in mentality and work ethic that seperates the owner op from a company driver, if youre an owner op you get that.
But, if you have a company driver mentality (the company is responsible for me, they should pay for that, I deserve medical insurance, workers comp, along with all the perks of being an independent, but still have the protection granted to a employee of the company and not a independent driver) I see this every day from guys I have worked with and they just dont get it.
When you decide to be a owner op or a lease op you must know that you will be paid a settlment, not a wage, you are responsible for your own taxes, insurance, maintenance, bookeeping, fuel bill, and any other costs associated with your business, you are a entrepenuer now, not a employee and you take on the mantle of risk and resposibility that comes with it, as well as the extra chance for independence and financial bonus' that come with more responsiblity.

I have been a company driver, then a owner op, lost my butt, became a company driver again, and now shooting for the lease op gig. I made a lot of money owning my own rig, but along with the stretch of success I had, the pitfalls of busines were also more abrubt for me compared to what a company driver would have to suffer, it left me with a residule of $10,000 to pay off on my truck, then I dont have the benefit of filing for unemployment as a owner op like a company driver might. It was a tough experience to go through but would I do it again?

HELL YES!!!

and thats something that only someone that wants to be in business for themselves will ever understand, you never give up.

 

Mostly because in your first post you come off like someone who has no clue about this. Maybe you should have mentioned your curriculum vitae first. As a business owner, you probably know something about just how long you're going to allow someone to jerk you around before you cut them loose. Same principle here.

Two reasons: First because its in the contract he agreed to. No one put a gun to his head and forced him to sign. Second, because Prime found that once it became an owner responsibility, use of reefer fuel dropped drastically. Call it "doing something green" or some such nonsense.

Most of the trailers don't have them, in fact none of them do. Generally, if a driver leaves a load lock in a trailer its because he was too lazy to throw the useless, busted thing out. If you do happen to find one that is serviceable, you can turn it in for credit. BFD.

Been a long time since Qualcom usage was charged "per message." Its a flat fee.

That's pure BS. No one is "told" that. It's to your benefit to have one since idling is rather expensive.

If you've read the contract then you know why he's in the "hole." Payments are not suspended for any reason. You go out for a couple of months for ANY reason, and you'll have a couple of months of payments backed up. Usually with no revenue to offset them. That's why he's "in the hole." The leasing company "calls the shots" because that's the party he has the financial arrangement with. That relationship in the lease contract is very clear... that keeps your FM from deciding he doesn't like you and unilaterally deciding to terminate your contract.

They're like anyone else... there are limits to the generosity of any financial agreement. Especially when the one who owes doesn't appear to be in a position to cure the deficit. How long does the mortgage go unpaid before the bank forecloses??

Fair? Business is anything but fair. If you want "fair" go find a kintergarten. Business is bound by contract law - and if you abrogate the provisions of a contract long enough, there will be consequences. The tractor payment goes unpaid long enough, you can plan on having the lease company recover their property. Evidently your buddy found this out. A responsible business owner would have gotten in contact with the lease company as soon as is practicable after the injury to update them on his intentions, and find out what his options were.

As far as not being allowed back, I'm sure the entire episode is being treated as abandonment - you might want to review his contract for that clause. You also might have your buddy check his DAC report.

 

Trying to get into Prime myself, but they are giving me a hard time due to 2 suspensions for non-moving violations in the past year. Site specifically says moving violation suspensions. They won't let it slide.

 

Will I have a new trainer the first one did not want to train anymore it was costing him to much money? He was not getting the ml per gallon he said due to my inexperience.

So I requested a different trainer. And I lucked out he is from Maine like me, and we hid it of right away. And guess what we beat the miles per gallon average for that week for the whole fleet.

other then that I have a ball.

 

There are a whole lot of posts about this subject and I wonder why it's so hard to understand this simple legal reality: if you sign a lease agreement, you will owe a lease payment, unless there is a clause allowing non-payment or a way that allows the lessee to get out of the lease legally. It's like leasing an apartment or car. You get no credit for the days you do not reside in the apartment or drive the lease car.

Truck. Car. Apartment. Anything. Payment is due when it is due. No matter what.

 

I was making a point then you come on here and blast away. I understand he has to make the payments and such..but what your missing is how does a leasing company have the right to tell prime not to hire back a driver that had no late loads..no freight claims..and your so called PTC patches...He notified his dispatcher and sucess and they still didnt come or even offer to help..Now this was not an abandonment as you may think... he was injured and went into surgury 5 days later... ill get a copy of his lease and re-read it....im out

 

Sounds like there's something more to the story that he's not letting on - or perhaps the leasing office just was the bearer of all bad news. I'd imagine that the head of whichever division he was pulling for had input on that decision.